西化思潮的历史考察

Historical Survey of the Westernizing Ideological Trend

从发生学的角度看,中国的西化思潮是对鸦片战争后凭借其坚船利炮来到中国的西方文化以及由此引起的中国文化危机的回应,是近代中国的志士仁人对中国文化出路的一种选择,其最早源头可追溯到晚清,严复是它的最早代表人物之一。进入民国后,特别是到了五四新文化运动时期,发端于晚清的西化思潮兴盛起来,并与文化保守主义思潮、马克思主义思潮一道,成为活跃于中国现代思想文化舞台上的主要文化思潮。前期的五四新文化运动,在某种意义上可以称之为"西化运动",但陈独秀、胡适等人不像有的学者所指责的那样是"全盘西化论"的倡导者和主张者,也没有"全盘性反传统"。当历史进入到30年代,西化思潮又有了一些新的引人注目的发展,这就是"全盘西化论"的提出。西化思潮是以传统文化不适应现代生活、不能实现现代转换和西化等于现代化这样两个错误的理论认识为前提的,因此它不是对中国文化出路的正确选择,但在当时的历史条件下,有它存在的历史价值和积极意义。

The westernizing ideological trend is the response to western culture, which came to China with its well-equipped weapons and caused Chinese cultural crisis after the Opium War. It was also a choice that the person of ideal and integrity had been seeking for a way out of Chinese culture. The sprout of this idea originated from Late Qing Dynasty, and Yan Fu was one of the representatives. Then it prospered by the time of the first years of 20th century, especially during the New Cultural Movement, and became one of main thoughts animating on modern China stage, as well as Conservatism and Marxism. The first period of the New Cultural Movement was called westernizing movement in some ways. The author insisted that Chen Duxiu and Hu Shi who were criticized by some scholars were not entirely anti-tranditioners and advocates of entirely westernizing. Such concept had not been really put forward until in 1930s. However, on the basis of two mistaken theoretical understandings, which traditional culture did not adapt to modern life and could not transform to that modality and westernization was equal to modernization, the trend was not a right choice to the development of Chinese culture. But just under the condition of that time, this thought showed its historic and positive significance to some extent.